Daedelus

What? Though classically trained in jazz, composer/producer/instrumentalist Daedelus became a House-hold name in the drum’n’bass community with scores of DJ gigs. But with Love to Make Music To, his umpteenth album to date (amongst countless EPs and remix albums), Daedelus, a.k.a. Alfred Darlington, conjures a dance floor’s wet dream. Channeling his subject-spanning past in synth-driven, complex musical arrangements, Daedelus’ latest flaunts an array of styles — even doses of disco and ragtime! Bits of hip-hop and drum’n’bass recal his 2002 debut, Invention, but chiefly Love to Make Music To delineates Daedelus’ natural progression.

Who? Santa Monica-born Alfred Darlington, who adopted the Daedelus nom de tune as an ode to his childhood obsession with becoming an inventor (in Greek mythology Daedalus was known as an inventor). Having played in numerous bands, Daedelus discovered DJing and drum’n’bass and soon became a L.A. club staple with his improvisational style. With an affinity for old-school samples mashed with contemporary jams, Daedelus — often with collaborators like Taz, Sa-Ra, and Busdriver — is one of the L.A. scene’s highest fliers, mastering his eclectic craft, er, inventively.

Fun Fact: Daedelus is a proponent of Edwardian dandyism, sporting the clothes and subscribing to the culture of the early Victorian era. Thus, no matter how hot he’s rockin’ the dance floor, the man still dons a full dandy suit — yes, the kind Willy Wonka or the Joker may wear.